Angels with Dirty Faces
by DisarmingDemises
Summary: A series of vampire short stories. Ranging from a few pages to a lot. Please Read and Review; especially if you want one expanded upon.
1. Swings

It was a cool night. The humidity of the lake stuck to my skin and made my hair plaster to my face. A loud creaking could be heard from the swing. I moved back and forth reveling the feeling of the wind against my sticky skin and my hair falling into my face with each motion. I imagined I was flying, but gravity kept pulling me back and I tried again. I opened her eyes into slits as I peeked at the lake. It came and went as I swung closer and light of the park glimmered across the black glass. My thoughts were simple as I swung, my shoes barely skirting the wood chips that had long replaced the sand from my childhood days. I was a teenager now, seventeen. A young lady. Yet, I felt like a child again for a few blissful moments on that old park swing. Yet...I felt like I was too old to be doing such a thing; and I was sad.

I wondered what brought me to the park tonight. I guess I needed some fresh air. Life was slipping too fast from between my fingers and I had to take shelter. A shelter deep in my memories. Life was good as a child. Back when there was no responsibility. Everything was fun and new...but now? Now I had to be afraid of everything. Not the dark. Not the boogie man. But things like gas prices, bills, backstabbing friends, rapists, managers, not going to the right college, and failing school. There are too many things to worry about and take into consideration. Too much.

A snap of a twig and the sound of crunching wood chips brought me to sharp attention. I snapped my head up and to the left; ignoring my neck's protest. The boy stood there looking at me as though I was an odd looking stranger. He then smiled a soft beckoning smile and said, "I'm Jonathan."

"I'm Lira." I said after a long pause. The boy was taller than me, but not by much. His skin was a honey bronze and his hair was a stark wavy black. His eyes seemed to glow golden beneath his locks. He wore a tight black shirt and black skinny jeans completed with old and worn converse. He cocked his head slightly, eyeing me eyeing him so critically.

He probably noticed that I was brunette and pale; but not sickeningly so in my opinion. I was clad in simple jeans and a blue sweater; my shoes white sneakers. I became suddenly even more uncomfortable and shifted on the swing. It stopped a long time ago.

"Why did you look so sad?" He asked softly, stepping closer. His hands were shoved into his pockets.

I smiled wanly; "I had a bad test score."

"I don't believe you." He smiled impishly. He took the swing next to me and sat down. I stared at him for a moment wondering why on Earth a guy my age was being nice. Well, a guy without thick rimmed glasses desperate for my attention anyway. He was kind of cute. He was more normal looking if anything.

"Why does it matter to you, stranger?" I smiled a little bit. He laughed.

"We're not strangers Lira. We know each other's names." He gave me a side long look.

"Fine. You asked for it. I'm scared of getting older. I don't like being an adult. It's too hard." I sighed heavily. I felt like such a whiney teenager.

"Ah." He nodded. "You don't like being human."

"No..." I gave him a confused look, "I'm okay being human. I just don't want to be an adult human."

"Well there is no helping that if you're human. You age. If you were an immortal, like say, a goddess, then you wouldn't age."

"Well then, I'll find myself a God." I snapped.

"You already found one." He smiled widely, pointing to himself.

"Whatever." I laughed. Jonathan and I could be good friends.

"Laugh all you want. It's true." He had a tight-lipped smile.

"Prove it to me." I challenged.

"What would you do if I did do something god like? Would you run away?"

"Depends on if it's scary..." I admit, I was getting wary.

"Oh, I was lying anyway. I'm not a God. I'm something else."

"Oh what? A werewolf?" I felt the relief. What was I afraid of?

"Just something." Something in his tone told me to drop it. Was he diseased?

We were silent for a few moments. I started to swing again to hint that I was getting bored. He did the same. It felt very odd swinging with a guy I just met. As a kid it happens all the time; but being two teens swinging at ten thirty at night...it was oddly romantic. I turned to face him and he faced me. Unfortunately he was swinging faster than me and I couldn't see his face the whole time. The more minutes I spent with him, the more attractive he seemed.

"So..." He swung away but came back, "Why are...you here...so late?"

"I just needed...some fresh air...Why are you...out...so late?" I asked in the equally ridiculous manner.

"I'm fishing..." He answered while looking out into the lake. Then with a final high swing he jumped from the seat and landed hard on the grass beyond the wood chips. It was a pretty high jump and I was alarmed for his safety; yet, he was a guy so of course he could do the more physical crap than I, an un-athletic girl.

"Where's your fishing pole Sawyer?" I laughed.

"I don't need one. I just need bait. I then lull my "fish" into a false of security, then strike like a tiger." He said all this while looking at me very dead-pan. I cocked my head to the side wondering what a freak he was, but then I laughed as I got that he was kidding.

But he wasn't.


	2. A Prolouge

A life seems so long. It seems so mundane and pointless. Life is like a yellowed piece of paper and you make empty, meaningless scrawls across the page. They make no sense. Life is like a song that hits all the wrong notes; you try desperately to play along, but you always miss the mark; the conductor is off the sheet music and you're left behind.

Until you lose it.

After you lose it, a life is a beautiful story with unique abstract writing. After you lose it life seems like a musical and you want to desperately join the chorus, because you finally know all the notes and words. Yet you can't, because you lost your right to a long time ago.

I was a Junior at Sienna High School in San Diego, California. My name was Lillian but everyone called me Lily. I had some good friends, but no best friends. A girl could only get hurt so many times. I was just walking in the hallway when I saw him. He was normal looking. He was cute, but normal. He had a normal hair cut, normal clothes although the palette was dark, and a normal air about him. It was his eyes that caught my attention. He wasn't glaring, he wasn't leering, he was just looking through me like I didn't exist. I never felt so invisible before. I stopped for just a moment, wondering if perhaps he was upset and simply staring into space. It was my first mistake.

His eyes flickered into focus on my face, and then something clicked. I meekly raised my hand and waved awkwardly, curious as to why he felt dangerous to me at that moment. He smiled at me.

There are many different smiles. Universal smiles for emotions like happiness, sarcasm, wry, fake, all those things. His smile was an illusion; underneath it I saw animalistic hunger. He was trying to display an appealing image to make me walk closer; however, I knew better. I frowned at him and walked away. That was my last mistake.

"Where are you going Lily?" He asked in a low voice. It wasn't appealing. It was gritty and razor-like. He could be a villain with that voice. "To class. Sorry to have bothered you." I said quickly. I peered back and saw a knowing in his eyes. He knew that I was afraid.

He simply shook his head as an indecisive no; he wasn't sure if I did bother him. I suppose I didn't, but whatever I did peaked his interest...whatever his interest was. I stepped away from him and he snatched my wrist, his next question sent a very unpleasant chill in my spine.

"Did you always smell so good?" His voice slithered. I wasn't sure if he was a werewolf, or maybe a vampire, or just something weird. As it turns out later, I wasn't very off with my theory.

"It's a new perfume; thanks for noticing. I'm going to be late Danny. Let go." I said, slightly hostile. As mentioned, he was cute, but normal looking, but now acted far from normal. Other girls liked him, as they liked any slimy guy who looks good without the shirt and pants, but I'm harder to impress.

"If you were wondering what was wrong with me earlier...I was just feeling a tad famished...but I think you'll do just fine. More than fine." His eyes flickered down and up very fast, but I caught it, scoffed, and yanked from him.

"Sicko." I growled. I ran from him, but I still heard his confident retort; "You have no idea."

The day went normal from that point on. I noticed that use the term normal as almost a habit, a term of endearment for my previous life...please forgive my lack of creativity. I was one of the unfortunate seventeen year-olds who had no mode of transportation or money for the bus, and no friends living close by to provide transport. I walked the two miles home. On the way I ran into Danny. It was as if he was waiting for me. You must understand. I did not know him enough for this to be okay. It was creepy. I wished I had mace, but looking back, it wouldn't have changed anything. It was an empty neighborhood street; a back way I took to avoid crowds and here this guy was. Waiting for me.

"I'm very hungry Lily. You seem like a bitter little girl; I doubt you'd miss your life. I see how you look at your peers; like they are grey shades with no meaning. Like you view your life. I'll end your torment tonight." He pursued me at that point. I abandoned my heavy book-laden back pack and ran as fast as I could, but it was no use as you could predict. I was tackled, strangled, and jabs of pain affected my neck like it was being torn open. I remember lying on the ground bleeding and crying as I felt his lips coercing the blood from me.

As anyone else, I wondered why me. Why now, why this, all the whys and woes of the world as I lied there dying. My last view was a single blade of yellowed grass protruding from the sidewalk.

Life is like a yellowed piece of paper...

Until red rain drops warp the page and you wish you could recognize the meaningless scrawls you made; at least you did them. You had control for that small moment.

The next few events are a haze to me now. I was dragged by him to his house and I lived there as his prisoner for a year, providing blood whenever he needed it. I was slowly becoming a vampire and he kept me in the dark about it. I was begging him every time he went to my cell to end it. He only told me another day, love, another day. Do not be fooled by 'love', it was a demeaning term to only mock my situation.

It was until the day he came. His name was Ryan. He was like Danny, but wonderfully different. Ryan stumbled upon me by accident. He was trying to grab some blankets in the basement without asking Danny permission and found my cage, fit for a large dog. His green eyes showed immense pity and anger. Apparently hoarding food was a crime.

Danny died that night.


	3. KaChunk

It's dark. The air tastes old and stale in my dry mouth. It burns. My God, how my throat burns! I open my eyes to see black. Not even stars or the glimmer of light from a lamp, or anything. I smell earth and ash. I panic.

_**THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.**_ "Some one help me!" I scream into the hard surface above me. From punching my fists into it I feel silk lining before the wood. A coffin!

I'm in a coffin.

My coffin.

It all rushes back...

It was a silly game. A silly game with an irresistible stranger. We were laughing, we were having a good time. We were kissing and grabbing and clawing at each other's clothes. And he went for my neck.

He bit me hard and suckled; but it felt so nice. So very, very nice. We continued our silly lover's game and then it was over. What a rush in my head. A sweet pounding rush from the apparent loss of blood; yet, I thought it was from the elation. I passed out...For how long?

"Some one! Please, oh God. Oh God. I'm so sorry God. Some one help me! I'm not dead! I'm not dead!"

_**THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.**_

"Some one! Please--" I stop. The air tastes like nothing now. My lungs feel empty. I'm sweating. But I'm not. I'm not doing anything. I'm not breathing. I'm not moving. My heart isn't beating.

I'm not dying.

I'm dead.

I hear a shifting of dirt.

_**CHCK. SHFF. CHCK. SHFF. CHCK. SHFF.**_

"Oh my God! Thank you God! Keep Digging! Keep Digging!" I plead and beg.

_**CHCK. SHFF. CHCK. SHFF. CHCK. SHFF.**_

I wait. I wait. Is it him? Is he coming to save me? Can he reverse this?

_**CHCK. SHFF. CHCK. SHFF. CHUNK. KA-CHUNK.**_

He found me! He's breaking the lock with the shovel! The coffin moves to each blow as I wait silently for my rescue.

_**KA-CHUNK. KA-CHUNK. KA-CHUNK. CLICK.**_

The lid creaks open and I open my eyes again. I was about to say thank you when a shovel dug itself deep into my neck.

_**KA-CHCK**_

"No! Please--" _**KA-CHCK**_

"Die ya hear!" _**KA-CHUNK**_

It was the cemetery guard.

Before I lost consciousness to never wake again, I heard him utter under his breath:

"Nah' another one 'a these fuckin' vampires! Fifth one this week! FIFTH!"


	4. Can I Keep him?

I was taking out the trash. It was a normal thing to do; It was a _completely_ normal thing to do. It just wasn't a safe thing to do at midnight when I should have left the store two hours ago. I thought it would be all right. It'd only take five minutes. That's what I told Megan, I told her specifically, "If I'm not back in five minutes, wait longer." and she laughed.

What a joke.

What a fucking joke.

I wonder how long she waited before she called the manager.

In any case I'm sitting in a nice comfy leather seat in the back of a Mercedes, if I could just live without the plastic ties killing my wrists and ankles, it'd be pretty cool. Why am I such a nice person? I see this guy getting chased and I have a Superman moment and bound after the pursuer. I was completely forgetting the idea that oh, maybe the pursuer had a gun? Or a knife? or mad Ninja skills? (Which, by the way, he had all fucking three!)

"It's okay Mr..?" The passenger turned his head to me expecting me to recite a name. I didn't give it.  
"I know it's a little scary being kid-napped, but we'll let you go maybe. I am kind of hungry though." The guy and the driver laughed.

"You're an idiot." My inmate muttered to me. He, too, was tied in his seat, but in more powerful bonds.

"I was just trying to help--"

"And failed." He snapped.

"What the fuck is this anyway? Seriously!" I shouted.

"You meddled with matters not of your world, and you are paying for it." My inmate growled.

"Okay, so this must be some gang-or even mafia thing. I won't tell anyone, I don't even know where you guys are from! It was dark, I can't recognize you off the street! I'm a fucking Subway worker! What harm am I man!" I leaned forward and shouted, my voice cracking from my desperation to their ears.

"You are of no harm, but rules are rules Subway Worker, you are property of our world now. Your destiny is now life or death, depending upon the Authority."

"This is such a sick joke! Come on! I was trying to help a victim! Is that so wrong!"

"Enough!" The driver shouted.

I was freaking out now to put it lightly. I kicked the back of the passenger seat even with my ankles tied together over and over. I thrashed and yelled obscenities of every kind. Finally the Mercedes came to a quick halt, my head hitting the passenger seat shut me up. There were flashing lights behind us. The bastards were caught speeding! I'm saved!

I waited for eternity as the cop strolled up to the window. The driver rolled the window down and smiled politely I could only imagine. The cop was annoyed. I took my chance.

"Help me! They're abducting me! They're trying to kill me and this guy back here! Get your gun!" I shouted, the cop looking alarmed as I held up my tied hands. He went for his gun but the driver flashed his arm to grab hold of his throat. With extraordinary strength the cop's neck caved instantly, the driver's fingers dug into the throat causing the jugular to burst. The cop was dead and fell like a rag doll in only 15 seconds of gurgling struggle.

"Oh my God..." I choked, it was then reality really set in. These guys were killers, killers that were excellent at what they did. Professional serial killers, and I was in their back seat.

"No one can save you human. No one at all." The driver taunted in a chilling grating voice.

It was a long lonely car ride. The sun was coming up and I noticed them pushing the speed more and more in desperation to get to their destination. The guy next to me had his head down, seeming to find his jeans or shoes interesting. He looked normal enough, too normal for this to be happening to him, and me.

"Who are you anyway?" I demanded of him.

He looked at me, it was then I noticed his eyes were not normal. They were orange. A bright fiery orange. He smiled a grim one.

"I think the right question would be what I am. And what I am is a Lycan."

"Lycan?" I scoffed.

"A were wolf. I can change at will, not when the moon is full."

"Cool..." I sighed helplessly, I'm in a car next to a psycho, and driven by psycho killers. I am never taking out the trash again.

"And I take that you two fellas are Lycans too?" I almost yelled. This was too much, too much.

"No. Vampires. Now kindly shut up as we are trying to beat the sunrise." The guy in the passenger seat said as normal as telling me the time.

"And I'm a fucking Jedi! Take me back home you fuckers!" I slammed back into my seat hard, I kicked the passenger seat again and yelled some more.

"This is insane! Let me go! Let me go! Aaaaah!" Finally the car screeched to a halt and the passenger seat guy quickly got out of the car and slammed my car door open. He grabbed my face hard and took out a vial. He bit the cork off and stuck the open end into my mouth and jerked my head up so the contents would enter more protesting throat. It burned like alcohol and lights went out.

"He tried to attack you?"

"Yes. I was chasing Mr. Jason down when this kid jumps on my back intending to knock me down. I admit, I panicked and piled him into the car along with Mr. Jason."

"How much does he know?"

"What we are. He asked Mr. Jason whom he was but Mr. Jason was in a good enough mood to tell him he was a Werewolf, instead of a vampire."

"Why on Earth would he do that?"

"He has a sick sense of humor, Sir."

I opened my eyes to see blurs, But then it quickly cleared into two men leaning over me. One was from last night, and the other was new, but looked mighty official.

"Let me go!" I screamed without further pause. I jerked around to find I was strapped to a table.

"Father, who is that?" I heard a female voice ask quizzically. I looked to see a girl wearing a knee-length black dress. She had long blonde hair that waved down to her mid back and a pale face. Her eyes were a bright green.

"A human that tried to interfere with the recovery of your brother."

"Really? Is he a slayer?"  
"No. An average human."

She looked down at me and cocked her head to the side, I saw her eyes creep down and back up and then she studied my face a bit more.

"Can I keep him?"


End file.
